Swoopy coupe looks sensational from every angle and has robust performance accolades

Originally published: March 19, 2014

Mercedes-Benz has returned us to the pillar-less coupe with its latest E 350, which is free of the B-pillar typically used to improve structural rigidity while eliminating the possibility of a clean opening when the front and rear side windows are lowered.

Not so with the E 350. The arched roofline of the E 350 flows from front to back free of interruption, and looks sensational every inch of the way.

The 2014 E 350 Coupe features new gauges and a liberal use of brushed aluminum trim in the cabin.Rob Rothwell, Driving

The 2014 E 350 Coupe distinguishes itself from last year with a more dramatic nose thanks to a revised grille and more angular lines. Moving to the rear, one finds subtle restyling of the tail lights and lower fascia. Overall, the car looks more aggressive than before yet retains its sporty and rather distinctive coupe lines.

Something within the cabin has been lost for 2014, and I tend to miss it. The gear selector has been removed from the centre console and mounted behind the steering wheel. The new shift lever is a small, slick affair that electronically places the vehicle into gear. Shift paddles allow full control over gear changes once the Coupe is in motion.

Relocation of the shift lever freed up space on the centre console, which could be put to good use, but that wasn’t the case in my tester. An ashtray and cigarette lighter resided under a hinged panel where the shifter once lived. A useless waste of otherwise convenient space, in my view.

An ashtray and cigarette lighter is a waste of usable space.Rob Rothwell, Driving

Keen eyes will also note new gauges in the instrument cluster and plenty of additional brushed aluminum trim work. That I like.

I also like the near endless amount of legroom in the four-seat cabin and the fabulous support of the Multicontour front seats, which are part of the Sport Package. The rear seats are headroom-challenged, but that’s to be expected in a coupe with a sleek roofline. Anyone serious about supplying rear-seat occupants with extended-duration comfort, ought to consider the E 350 sedan. Of course, that may carry with it a loss of cachet and sportiness.

With 302 horsepower tucked behind its enlarged tri-star, the E 350 Coupe is no slouch on the road. And that’s where the optional 4MATIC all-wheel-drive (AWD) configuration in this week’s tester supplied relentless grip over the standard rear-wheel-drive setup.

Power delivery from the 3.5-litre V6 mill is immediate and robust, and not out of character with modern V6 powerplants; however, it’s a little noisier and less operationally polished than I’d expect in a vehicle of this calibre.

I assume the growly note is part of the Coupe’s performance-oriented persona, and many may find it appealing. Me, not so much.

With 302 horsepower on tap and seven cogs in its transmission, the E 350 Coupe is capable of impressive acceleration and excellent passing performance.Rob Rothwell, Driving

On the positive side, the vehicle’s seven-speed automatic transmission exercised flawless shifting, incorporating smoothness into every cog swap. This isn’t a dual-clutch arrangement that’s become so popular in the performance arena, and I was more than content with that.

Fuel economy, while not brag-worthy, was augmented by one of the most seamless Start-Stop modes I have come across. If they all functioned this unobtrusively, the fuel-saving technology would be far easier to embrace.

The onboard information centre recorded my in-town fuel economy as 13.4 L/100km, which is fairly typical for a powerful V6 engine, but well in excess of the Coupe’s official numbers of 10.5L and 7.1 L per 100 km of travel in the city and on the highway, respectively.

The uninterrupted arched roofline of the E 350 Coupe looks sensational every inch of the way, setting this Coupe apart from the crowd.Rob Rothwell, Driving

The E 350 Coupe is an exceptionally agile vehicle with remarkably composed handling qualities underpinned by responsive steering and strong, progressive brake performance. Steering resistance is notably — and quite rightly — light while maneuvering through tight spaces. Resistance increases proportionate to vehicle speed, until it takes more input effort at highway speeds than initially expected. But that’s how it should be.

Ride quality in the E 350 Coupe is a little on the firm side for a Mercedes-Benz without an AMG-badge affixed to its tail. Still, it’s absorbent enough to effectively deal with big-city road decay, thanks in part to the vehicle’s structural rigidity, which keeps shudder, squeaks and rattles at bay.

I think Mercedes-Benz was daring and brave in designing a pillar-less coupe, and the strategy paid off. The more I ogled the E 350 Coupe, the more I appreciated its dramatic lines. More importantly, the more I drove it, the more I liked it.

The low-slung two-door grew on me during our many outings. And when I try to identify long with its flair for style, those are the takeaways from this week’s ride.